Research

Research areas

Our Research

COMC is distinguished for contributions to biomineralization and for pioneering the bio-inspired synthesis and self-assembly of functional nanostructures and hybrid nanoscale objects. Our work focuses on the chemically mediated synthesis of organized bio-inorganic matter based on spontaneous structuration, integrative hybrid assembly, morphological and hierarchical complexity, nanotectonics and self-transformation.

In this view, our mult-disciplinary research team is working towards two principal goals:

(i) Design and development of novel bottom-up approaches that exploit physicochemical interactions between disparate molecular building blocks to produce higher ordered nanostructures and nanoscale objects;

(ii) Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms that direct the organization of organic/inorganic matter across multiple length scales.

Over the past few years, work in the COMC has demonstrated a number of constructional pathways to nanoscale objects with extended structures. For example, reaction-diffusion systems, transformative self-assembly, integrative self-assembly, template-directed synthesis, and biomolecular recognition methodologies have been designed and exploited to produce a range of hybrid nanomaterials with advanced functions that can be integrated into applications such as bioelectronics and biosensing, (bio)catalysis, sustained drug release and regenerative medicine.

Currently, the research program at the COMC is focused on four exciting themes